BART orders 365 more Bombardier railcars

The order, valued at approximately $639 million, is part of a contract signed in June 2012. Bombardier now has firm orders for 775 cars with a total value of approximately $1.5 billion.

"BART is very pleased to be partnered with Bombardier for this important project to bring a new and improved fleet to the Bay Area," said BART GM Grace Crunican. "We look forward to the successful delivery of 775 innovative, reliable, safe and comfortable railcars."

The new cars feature improvements based on input from San Francisco Bay Area riders who toured a mock-up of the car and learned about proposed improvements to the interior, according to Raymond Bachant, president, region Americas, Bombardier Transportation.

The improvements include a reconfigured interior layout designed to maximize seating, openness and comfort; more priority seating for seniors and people with disabilities; wheelchair areas at the end of each car; and bicycle racks in every car.

Other new features include more comfortable seats; interior and exterior digital displays showing passenger information; a better quality public address system, including automated announcements; more doors to make boarding faster and easier; energy-saving lighting; and energy-efficient propulsion and regenerative braking.

Ten pilot cars are scheduled to be delivered in the spring of 2015, followed by comprehensive testing of the pilot cars on the BART system. The delivery of the 765 remaining production series cars is expected to follow between early 2017 and 2021.

Bombardier will assemble the cars at its manufacturing plant in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Rail Operations is currently in the process of replacing all stub end tracks at Hoboken Terminal with new sliding friction bumper blocks, as well as advancing a speed control system for trains entering Hoboken Terminal.

The $99 million streetcar opened in December 2014 amid sky-high expectations, but ridership failed to meet expectations in its first year and plummeted nearly 60% after the city began charging $1 to ride.